ALS 6014

Theater Techniques for Enhancing Teaching and Public Speaking

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2020-2021.

This seven-week course uses theater techniques to help graduate students enhance their classroom teaching and public speaking in both formal and informal environments. Using the storytelling and character-development techniques of theatrical improvisation, participants will build decision-making skills and their ability to think creatively under pressure through engaging exercises. The goals for this course are to enhance teaching presence in the classroom, form a learning community, and build the confidence necessary to connect with a variety of audiences in a range of educational settings. Participants will design and present a short lesson or talk. Due to the active and sequential nature of the class, please defer taking the course if you know in advance that your schedule will require you to miss two or more sessions.

When Offered Fall (weeks 1-7).

• Identify theater strategies for enhancing classroom teaching and public speaking in formal and informal settings.
• Utilize and practice improvisational techniques to think creatively under pressure and to project confidence and respect for diverse perspectives.
• Apply storytelling techniques to communicate discipline-specific content more effectively, and in a more engaging manner.
• Integrate story arcs into presentations and lesson planning.
• Describe research on the use of theater techniques for enhancing teaching including how using theater techniques works to build more inclusive classes.
• Design and present a short lesson or talk that includes: a rationale for how the lesson or talk was constructed around learning outcomes, the theater or public speaking principles applied, and methods for assessing student/audience engagement and learning.
• Demonstrate evidence of reflective practice and learning through a web-based portfolio.

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